The Most Common Types of Damages Awarded in Personal Injury Lawsuits

Those who are injured wrongfully by a reckless or negligent party should not be financially liable for their damages and losses. Wrongfully injured victims deserve justice, and that justice by law comes in the form of full and fair compensation for everything from medical expenses and hospital bills, to lost wages, pain, suffering, disability, and much more. These types of losses all fit under one of two categories of damages, economic and non-economic. Within these two umbrella categories lies several other types of damages that are and should be awarded in personal injury cases. As an injured victim hurt in an accident that was not your fault, you deserve to know which types of damages you are entitled to under the law.

Continue reading to review the most common types of damages in personal injury lawsuits, and where to get trusted advice on your claim.

Indianapolis IN Personal Injury Law
Indianapolis IN Personal Injury Law Firm 317-881-2700

Economic and Non-Economic Personal Injury Damages

Economic damages represent quantifiable losses that are documented, and therefore, can be more precisely calculated. Examples of such damages include hospital bills, medical expenses, gas money spent traveling to and from doctor’s visits, lost wages from missing time at work, and similar out-of-pocket costs. Non-economic damages are the opposite, as they are more difficult to put a figure to. However, these types of damages are even more impactful and deserving of compensation, such as pain and suffering, emotional trauma, mental anguish, loss of consortium, loss of ability to work, permanent disfigurement or disability, and similar losses experienced by a personal injury victim.

Compensatory Damages – Economic damages, like hospital bills and medical treatment, are types of compensatory damages, or actual damages. They can be traced and calculated.

General Damages – General damages are also known as hedonic damages, and they represent non-economic damages like pain and suffering or reduced quality of life.  These are the damages that injured persons are entitled to under the law and any settlement or award for these types of damages should be substantial if the injury was substantial.

Special Damages – There is also another category known as special damages, which are awarded for things like property damage, legal fees, and even incidental and future damages, if eligible.

Punitive Damages

Courts may also award additional punishable damages in special cases of extreme offensive conduct including gross negligence. These are called punitive damages, or exemplary damages, and are more intended to reprimand the wrong-doer rather than award the victim (although the victim still receives a percentage of the monetary compensation awarded). Punitive damages are awarded in cases where victims suffered losses as a result of another’s maliciousness, brazenness, or gross negligence. They are intended to set an example, as well as reform the wrong-doer and deter others from similar immoral behaviors.

Aggravated Damages

Aggravated damages are not a separate category of damages, but rather an extension of general damages that fall under compensatory damages. Aggravated damages are essentially the same as punitive damages, since they are awarded for cases of egregious invidious conduct, however, they are directly compensatory in nature. Punitive damages are meant to punish, whereas aggravated damages are meant to monetarily compensate a victim for aggravated injuries sustained by a defendant’s extreme malevolent conduct.

To learn more details about the common damages awarded in a personal injury claim, speak with a licensed Indiana accident lawyer who has the knowledge and experienced necessary to obtain the full and fair compensation you deserve as a wrongfully injured victim.

Learn More About Making a Personal Injury Claim in Indianapolis, Indiana

Call the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to learn your rights to being compensated for your damages and losses after being wrongfully injured in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned personal injury lawyers retain extensive trial and litigation experience, and never collect attorney fees unless we obtain a settlement or verdict for you. Contact us today to schedule a free initial case evaluation, and explore your claim’s strength with a skilled injury lawyer. We serve clients in and around Indianapolis, and all throughout the state of Indiana. Act now before evidence is lost and time runs out on your claim!

You Might Also Like:

The Difference Between General Damages and Punitive Damages
Legal Facts About Pain and Suffering Damages in Indiana
How to Get the Maximum Settlement for Your Indiana Accident Lawsuit

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700
Schedule a Free Consultation!

Types of Damages Awarded for Victims of Injury

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Indianapolis Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Under tort law, when a person is a victim of a civil wrong-doing, a court may award damages to compensate them for their injuries and losses. Assessing the amount of damages is often a difficult and complex process since so many variables influence the final determination. A court must consider the losses or injuries of a victim’s person, property, and overall quality of life. Courts take this responsibility seriously since the law intends to help victims get back to the same state of life they were in before their accident.

It requires substantial evidence on behalf of the victim to recover the full and fair amount of compensation for the total amount of damages and losses. Evidence includes medical records, police reports, expense records, witness statements, interviews, and much more. But when the process of assessing damages is over, there are certain categories of damages that may be awarded. Continue reading to learn what three types of damages are awarded to injured victims and what they each represent.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages are also called “actual” damages, since they are calculated by traceable and tangible losses. Compensatory damages have two subcategories: special damages and general damages. Special damages compensate victims for quantifiable economic losses, such as lost wages, hospital bills, medical expenses, legal fees, and property damage.

Special damages can also include incidental, speculative, and future damages if substantial evidence can prove future losses like prolonged therapy or loss of earning capacity. General damages, also referred to as hedonic damages, represent non-monetary losses, like pain and suffering. Pain and suffering can represent several losses, including mental anguish, loss of consortium, physical disablement, lost ability to work, reduced quality of life, wrongful death, grief, humiliation, damaged reputation, and more.

Punitive Damages

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Courts may also award additional punishable damages in special cases of egregiously offensive conduct. These are called punitive damages, or exemplary damages, and are more intended to reprimand the wrong-doer rather than award the victim (although the victim still receives monetary compensation). Punitive damages are awarded in cases where victims suffered losses as a result of anothers extreme maliciousness, brazenness, or flagrant negligence. They are intended to set an example, as well as,
reform the wrong-doer and deter others from
similar immoral behaviors.

Aggravated Damages

Aggravated damages are not a separate category of damages, but rather an extension of general damages that fall under compensatory damages. Aggravated damages are essentially the same as punitive damages, since they are awarded for cases of egregious invidious conduct, however, they are directly compensatory in nature. Punitive damages are meant to punish, whereas aggravated damages are meant to monetarily compensate a victim for aggravated injuries sustained by a defendant’s extreme malevolent conduct.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Attorneys

Personal Injury Attorney Indianapolis

Personal Injury Attorneys 317-881-2700

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 when you need experienced Indianapolis personal injury attorneys you can trust. Seasoned accident lawyers Daniel Craven, Ralph Hoover, and Keith Blazek, are eager to recover the full and fair compensation victims of wrongful injuries deserve. Our personal injury law firm provides free initial consultation and never collects attorney fees unless we recover a settlement for you. Get started on an effective path to restoring your life after a serious accident by calling our Indianapolis accident attorneys at
317-881-2700 to schedule an appointment today.